


A Different Reason

by oceankat8



Series: LadyIrina is personally responsible for me not sleeping at night [1]
Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Based on LadyIrina‘s Fanfic Rescue and Regret, Found Family, M/M, ManDadlorian, No Beta, but he’s not mine!, technically Corin is an OC, uhhh I have no excuse I just fell in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:41:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21739270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oceankat8/pseuds/oceankat8
Summary: The Mandalorian didn’t exactly choose this family... but he wasn‘t about to let them be taken from him either. They were his, and he would protect them.
Relationships: Baby Yoda & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)/Corin (LadyIrina)
Series: LadyIrina is personally responsible for me not sleeping at night [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1572814
Comments: 147
Kudos: 717
Collections: Movies





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Rescue and Regret](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21648874) by [LadyIrina](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyIrina/pseuds/LadyIrina). 



The Mandalorian was quiet, he was watching the kid play with Corin and the other kids in the village while the adults all worked at putting everything that had been destroyed back together.

They were still healing, the village elder had said when they’d offered to help rebuild. And the Mandalorian had to agree with that, a stitch in his side pulled as he walked, and his ears still rang lightly in his helmet from a blaster beam that had hit a little too true for comfort. 

So for now, he let himself watch. The kid was still tired from healing the newest member to their little tribe, and it was noticeable in the way his ears drooped as he played, his mouth opening into a yawn more often then not and it wouldn’t be long until they’d have to call it a day, or at least tuck the kid in for a nap. 

“Hey,” Corin walked towards him, the kid cradled in his arms, “I’m thinking it’s nap time for the kid” he was smiling, and the Mandalorian tried not to focus on it, thankful, as ever, that the helmet hid the movement of his eyes. 

The Mandalorian just nodded, and the other man walked past him, into their shared room. He stayed at the door. 

He watched as Corin tucked the child in, cooing gently at him as if it were entirely natural as the little one clutched at his fingers. He’d become clingy, just as attached to him after a few days as he’d been with the Mandalorian when they had first met. Back before he was a part of his tribe. 

Though, perhaps it was only the Mandalorian who thought that way. After all, it was rare that others saw the world the way the Mandalorians did, even rarer perhaps, that a Mandalorian took in a child so young, so visibly to the rest of the world. 

And then there was Corin. An ex-Stormtrooper, he had worked for the empire. The enemy of the Mandalorians. Then again, there were many of those. And Corin was with them now. 

Maybe even...

The Mandalorian wanted to shake his head, perhaps he’d dislodge the more unnecessary thoughts when it came to his newest companion.

But he didn’t. He stayed where he was and watched as the child eventually fell asleep and Corin was once again walking towards him. 

“You’re good with him” the Mandalorian said, pushing everything else aside. 

He still remembered the other man’s touch against his wrist, a space in his armor that he hadn’t noticed was exposed until it was too late and rough, calloused fingers were brushing gently against it. 

He remembered when it was the soft brush of lips instead. 

He ignored whatever it was that was bubbling up in his chest at the memory.

”you think so?” Corin was smiling again, like it was easy, a natural shift of his features into something so expressive it made the Mandalorian ache. “To be honest I don’t think I could even compete with you when it comes down to it. I’ve never seen a kid so clearly love his dad before”

The Mandalorian didn’t choke on that, but if a soft, sharp draw of breath made it through his helmet, Corin showed no sign of it, continuing to wax praises for the kid and the Mandalorian’s ability to care for him. 

His chest felt tight, like a rubber band pulling and pulling until it was bound to snap from the pressure and the Mandalorian was afraid of what he would do if it did. 

His self control may be legendary, but underneath the armor, he was only human.

”So,” Corin said, standing next to him in the doorway now “want me to go get us some food? You can eat in here while I keep an eye out.”

Thoughtful. 

“No, I’ll get it” he offered instead, before leaving the room and Corin’s dangerous proximity. 

They stayed a little bit longer, the Mandalorian had wanted to finish fixing up his old armor, had felt frustrated with its flimsiness in a way he hadn’t been before, when he was the one wearing it. 

But it was as good as it was ever going to get, and they had healed up enough to make the journey to a new planet, likely one similar to this. They were easier to hide out at, less mouths to spread rumors with. 

More space between them and their pursuers. 

Luckily this time the kid didn’t seem as confused, not like the last time, when he’d made friends with the village children and didn’t understand why they had to leave so quickly. 

Now though, it was easier, perhaps it was because they’d been to so many places the kid was just used to them leaving right as they had gotten settled, or maybe it was because he had spent more time with him and Corin than with the villagers. 

Maybe it was because they were taking Corin with them.

”Ready to go?” Corin asked, appearing in the cockpit behind him, “the kid’s tucked in for a nap right now, so if we wanna take off with out the air pressure bothering him, now’s probably best”

Considerate.

The Mandalorian simply nodded an affirmative and flipped the switches necessary for takeoff. 

He waited until they were twenty or so minutes on the way to their next coordinates before engaging autopilot. 

Corin was still in the cockpit behind him, leaning against the wall in the makeshift seat he often used for his more cooperative bounties. 

A soft light was haloed against his face in the otherwise dark cockpit, he was reading a data plate, lost in it entirely. Not even noticing when the Mandalorian looked back at him, his helmet tilted in consideration, studying his companion as he relaxed.

He’d dressed in casual clothing for the trip, his black bodysuit long gone and burned. The Mandalorian didn’t need that getting dug back up anymore than he needed the stormtrooper’s armor resurfacing. 

“I know you did something with my old armor by the way” Corin said, his voice soft, not nearly as offended as the Mandalorian had expected.

“It’s dangerous to keep that kind of stuff around” he didn’t apologize “besides, you have new armor now, it’s better” _safer,_ he didn’t say.

It was quiet for a bit. The Mandalorian had turned back around, facing the stretched stars as they streamed past. 

“I know.”

It was soft, barely there and the Mandalorian almost had to strain his ears to hear it. 

The ship was quiet once more.

It wasn’t as if the Mandalorian had forgotten their original intentions, what the plan was when they had originally started traveling together. 

But...

He didn’t want to just drop him off somewhere, ignoring the kid’s doubtlessly distraught reaction when they’d left him behind before, and even ignoring the sight of Corin in his old armor -which the Mandalorian had been desperately trying to not think about- he just didn’t want to lose anyone else. 

It had nothing to go with the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed, the soft, gentle tone of his voice when he whispered to the kid at night and didn’t think the Mandalorian was awake to hear him, or the electric feeling that shot through him every time they brushed against each other when they were walking around the admittedly small ship. 

The Mandalorian hadn’t noticed his throat go dry until he tried to speak again, to say something in the silence between them. 

“We need to get something to protect your head too”

There was a beat, charged, electric.

”I’m not-“

”No,” the Mandalorian said, and wasn’t that a dangerous thought, “Just something simple” 

He tried to ignore the way his heart squeezed in his chest, “the kid can’t exactly bring you back from a headshot”

”Right” Corin said, and if the Mandalorian were able to look back without risking something breaking in him, he would see him nod a little before leaning once more against the wall. 

The flight continued on in silence.


	2. Chapter 2

Before long, the child had interrupted the ship‘s quiet. Making a racket down in the hull as he woke up from his nap. 

The Mandalorian was tempted to go check on him, worried about what he could get into, but he also had to remind himself that independence was learned. Not taught. And with the way the Child appears to have aged it is unlikely that the Mandalorian would be there as he aged into adulthood, and it didn’t hurt to let the kid learn how to do things on his own. Especially easy things, like walking from the hull to the cockpit.

At least until he heard something crash and a pained whine sounded from below that had the Mandalorian almost tripping over Corin’s sleeping form as he rushed to check on the kid.

“Watch the controls” the Mandalorian said before he disappeared below.

“Uh, okay?” Corin said, his voice slurred as he woke himself more fully. 

The kid was perfectly fine, thankfully, unfortunately the same could not be said for the box of Corin’s things that had been balanced near his makeshift crib. Apparently, the child had tried to get into the poor man’s -admittedly meager- supply of personal effects and was currently sifting through it.

“What are you looking for you little womprat?” The Mandalorian sighed, his heart still racing from the fright the kid had given him. 

The child merely cooed, holding a familiar piece in his small hands, and dragging it towards him.

“Is that-?” Another soft coo seemed to answer his question, not that he needed it to. He could recognize his old armor. “Ad’ika, what are you trying to do with that?”

The child giggled, tightening his grip on the armor and dragging it behind him as he waddled towards the cockpit. 

His throat tightened again. He felt frozen, unable to move as he realized exactly where the kid thought that armor belonged. 

Should he stop him? 

Could he even explain to an infant the specific reasons why that was a _bad idea,_ the fact that it was the Mandalorian that was the odd one out for his beliefs and strict adherence to the the Way. 

But the kid wouldn’t understand that, he just thought the armor was a part of him. Which, in a way, meant he understood it better than most. 

He would make a fine Mandalorian one day, should he choose to keep following that path. 

But Corin…

Corin wasn’t a Mandalorian. 

The Mandalorian was taken out of his thoughts as Corin entered the hull, the kid bundled in one arm, giggling and reaching over at the other to where he was holding the piece of armor. 

No doubt the kid had tried to put it on him. 

“I uh, put it on auto-pilot for a bit” he said sheepishly, his eyes downcast. “Thought it would be easier if I came down and helped you pick this stuff up” 

“I had it handled” the Mandalorian crouched down, placing everything back into the box. “You don’t have much”

Corin crouched down beside him, letting the kid go and gently tugging his small hands from the grip they had on his armor. 

“Not really, no” his smile was disarming, even when it was directed at the kid- _especially_ when it was directed at the kid. 

The Mandalorian stood up, someone needed to keep an eye on the controls, he didn’t trust auto-pilot much more than he trusted droids. 

“I’ll be in the cockpit if you need me.”

“Got it, I’m gonna see if he’ll eat something” Corin said before once more trying to wrestle his armor from the child. 

The Mandolarian allowed himself a soft smile under his helmet, why not? It wasn’t like they could see it. And if he also stayed close to the door for a bit after closing it, to listen to the soothing coos and gentle coaxing of his small crew, well, no one could see that either.

The next planet wasn’t as empty as the Mandalorian had wanted, apparently there was a large commerce boom recently that had merchants from everywhere trying to get ahead just a little. He grit his teeth. 

It wasn’t like they could just leave now, they needed gas, food, supplies. And while the Mandalorian could probably make it to the next planet with almost nothing out of sheer spite, he wasn’t about to put his kid through that.

Or Corin for that matter.

“Busy place” Corin said, he was wearing the armor. Can’t be too safe after all. And the kid had practically refused to let him leave the ship without it. 

“I noticed” 

Corin rolled his eyes, “I’m gonna go see if I can get a job” 

The Mandalorian turned his head to look at his companion, surprised, “what?”

“No offense, but every time _you_ get a job? We almost get killed. So I’m gonna get a job” he shrugged “I don’t know, washing dishes or something, and _you_ can babysit” 

Stubborn.

Corin patted his shoulder and looked towards the kid, waddling along with them on the ground.

“Ain’t that right kiddo?” He smiled, something mischievous was hidden in it, and the Mandalorian found himself glaring behind his helmet. 

The child just giggled merrily and reached for the Mandalorian’s hand, Corin’s smile softened at that and he pat the Mandalorian’s shoulder one more time before backing away. “I’ll see you tonight okay?” 

They watched as he disappeared into the crowd before the child tugged at his hand once more and the Mandalorian decided it was a good time to get him something to eat. Since apparently Corin was the bread winner now. 

Another soft giggle sounded, the child eagerly trotting along. The Mandalorian’s frustration bled out of him at the sound and he walked slowly beside him until they reached somewhere that looked like it might serve bone broth. 

He waited until they were seated and the child was happily munching down on something before the Mandalorian sighed and turned to him.

“What are the two of you planning?” He said, and the child laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t really want to go anywhere too far with this, since I don’t want to step on any toes, but I also love them and am still going Somewhere. I think


	3. Chapter 3

The Mandalorian had found a place to stay, it wasn’t expensive, nor was it particularly cozy, but it was a place that didn’t ask questions, and didn’t have windows and that was enough for him. 

The kid however, had been running around the room trying to get into anything he possibly could to give him an actual heart attack, especially since the last resident likely hadn’t made it back to his room. 

At least that was the theory when the Mandalorian had caught his child teething on a blaster pistol he’d found in the corner of the room. And besides, the cache of weapons he’d found hidden around once he’d started looking didn’t seem like the kind of thing that would get left behind on accident. 

“No, put that down” the Mandalorian scolded as the kid found yet another dangerous object to put in his mouth.

The child simply looked up at him, big black eyes wide, before slowly moving to place it in his mouth. 

The Mandalorian sighed before crouching down to grab it out of his hands, “give me that”

“You’re pretty good at disappearing, you know that?” said a familiar voice from behind him.

The Mandalorian didn’t know if it was just his own self control or his familiarity with the voice that kept him from freezing. He stood up, the child in his arms to stop him from running around and finding something else to kill himself with. 

“You didn’t seem to have a problem finding us” the Mandalorian walked towards Corin, depositing the child into his arms “hold him, I need to make the room safe and he’s making it difficult” 

Corin just chuckled, a soft thing that absolutely didn’t shoot straight through the Mandalorian’s heart “that’s what happens when you frequent places like this, it’s not exactly a family friendly atmosphere” 

He rolled his eyes behind his helmet, “less questions” 

Corin didn’t respond to that, taking his time to look around the room instead, his eyes lingering on the bed.

“Did you only get the one bed?”

This time the Mandalorian _did_ freeze, his eyes slowly scanning the room as he took it in once more. He hadn’t been thinking, slipped back into his own instincts and years of being alone. 

The silence stretched, awkward, as the Mandalorian grasped for something to say. “I uh…” 

Corin just looked at him, one eyebrow quirked, something like a smile playing on his face. 

He stormed past him to the door, his face was hot, he found himself yet again grateful for his helmet’s cover.

“I’ll get another bed” 

“Not another room?” the Mandalorian didn’t let that hurt, ignored the sharp slice it seemed to cut out of him.

“I’ll get another room” 

“Wait” Corin stopped him, his free hand grabbing the Mandalorian’s wrist loosely, stopping him from leaving the room. “I’m just messing with you” 

The Mandalorian made sure not to look down at his wrist, the other man’s hand warm against the heat of his skin. 

“We don’t really have the credits to spare anyways, the job I got is safe, but not high paying” 

He still hadn’t let go of his wrist. 

“Fine,” the Mandalorian said, still frozen by the other man’s gentle grip. “I’ll get another bed” 

He purposefully didn’t look at him, could feel Corin’s eyes on him. He felt unraveled. 

“You’re blushing”

Shocked, the Mandalorian looked back at Corin. The other man’s gaze was focused on the wrist in his hand, a thin stripe of skin showing through his armor where the glove began and the sleeve ended. He felt weak, the blush only intensifying as Corin’s fingertips trailed along the edge of the fabric, just barely making contact and sending shivers up the Mandalorian’s spine. 

Corin looked up, his eyes catching the Mandalorian’s through the helmet. His expression was unreadable, something guarded but hopeful and the Mandalorian felt his gut twist. 

He ripped his arm away and stormed out of the room “I’ll get another bed” 

It was another week before everything went wrong. 

“We can’t just leave.” Corin argued as the door closed behind them. 

“Of course we can” the Mandalorian countered. “We have enough supplies to make it to the next system, we’ll be fine”

“That’s Not what I mean.” Corin sighed, “they don’t even know we’re here. It’s a perfect opportunity” 

The Mandalorian growled, “an opportunity to get yourself _killed_.” 

He stepped close, getting into his space as an intimidation tactic. He _needed_ to get him to back down, couldn’t have him running off to risk his life like this. 

Not again. 

Corin didn’t back up, didn’t step away, and instead leaned close as well, and lowered his voice.

Intimate.

“They don’t know about me, the more I can find out about them while that’s true, the more likely it is we can stay a step ahead.” He looked over at the child, he was sitting on the bed, quiet, looking between them as they argued. 

“Don’t you want to be able to stay somewhere longer than a couple of weeks, or do you enjoy spending all your time cramped into your ship” 

The Mandalorian swallowed, “it’s safer-“

“It’s not healthy, not for you, and especially not for him”

He looked away, grit his teeth behind his mask, “that’s not fair.” 

“Life never is” 

His hands curled into fists, “if you don’t come back-“

Corin just smiled, “I will” he lifted the Mandalorian’s wrist to kiss it once more, “that’s the way isn’t it?” 

And just like that he left, leaving the Mandalorian alone once more with the child, holding his wrist to his chest while everything that could possibly go wrong echoed through his mind. 

The child cooed, softly, drawing the Mandalorian out of his thoughts and towards the bed. He never did get another one for the room, it wasn’t really an option and when he tried setting up a cot Corrin just laughed and told him not to bother. 

He sunk into the soft bedding as the child crawled towards him, “What am I going to do Ad’ika?” He whispered.

“I don’t want to lose him”

The child’s soft gurgle seemed to be an agreement, and he curled into him, hugging the child to his chest. 

Weak. 

It wasn’t supposed to be like this, the Mandalorian had never been the one left behind, even when he was with the rest of his people, in hiding, he had been the one to go out, seek opportunities and bring back what was necessary. He hadn’t been one of the ones waiting, hiding.

He didn’t like it. 

The child cooed again, distracting him once more from his spiraling thoughts. “We should prepare, we will leave when he returns, whether he wants to or not.” The child looked up at him, large black eyes blinking slowly.

The Mandalorian took that as an affirmative, “you’ll help me drag him back to the ship won’t you little one?”

This time the child giggled, a wide open mouth smile that had the Mandalorian convinced he understood a lot more than he let on. 

“Good, at least _we_ are on the same page” 

And with that, the two of them worked to pack up from their short stay, waiting for the third member of their small tribe to return. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!! Okay. I know where I am going with this, it won’t be too long. Maybe five chapters? Let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

He hadn’t come back that night, it left an itch under the Mandalorian’s armor, something he couldn’t scratch at. An irritation. 

He growled.

It was way too long, he’d taken way too long and the Mandalorian was going to go after him. 

As soon as he figured out how, he couldn’t just leave the kid here, as frustrating as it was to take care of him while worrying about Corin, it was dangerous to go after him while worrying about the kid. But… 

He set the kid down on the bed. 

“Stay here” he said, gathering his weapons, pistol first, then the rest.

There was a questioning gurgle from behind him that the Mandalorian found himself answering “I’m going after him, he’s taking too long”

A soft coo.

He sighed “I’m not overreacting, he could be in danger” 

There was a tug on his trousers, insistent, and the Mandalorian looked down. The child was looking up, an impish expression on his face.

“Don’t look at me like that” he picked the kid up once again, tucking him into the bed and holding him down. 

“Stay here, I’ll be right back. I promise” 

He hadn’t even made it three steps to the door before his feet were no longer taking him anywhere. Instead, he found himself floating half a foot above the ground, unsteady and entirely incapable of leaving the room under his own power. He growled again.

“You-!” The child just giggled, clearly having grown stronger as he practiced using his unique abilities. “Put me down! Right now!” 

The answering giggle was abstinent, and the Mandalorian reached over for him. The way he was floating forcing him to practically swim in the air. He hadn’t felt this undignified when his ship’s gravity failed during a job and he had to fix it, despite his limited mechanical knowledge. 

Then again, he hadn’t been uselessly grabbing for a child as it held him floating in the air.

“Are you two okay?” 

His heart stopped, a weight suddenly lifting off of him that he hadn’t even noticed was there until he heard his voice again.

The Mandalorian slammed into the ground, worried, he looked over at the child, only to see him yawn sleepily. There was a soft smile on his face as he looked between the two of them and cuddled into the blankets.

“Womprat” 

Corin just chuckled, helping the Mandalorian up from the ground. He cast a quick once over, taking stock of everything about him, if the armor was damaged, if there was any wounds, obvious or not. He had a habit of hiding them, or not noticing they were there after all. 

But he looked… good. He looked safe.

“You look dressed for a fight” Corin said, a fake nonchalance in his tone.

“I’m always dressed for a fight, it’s part of my religion” he deflected.

“I can handle myself” Corin sighed, his brow pinched in frustration, “I’m literally a trained soldier” 

“I wasn’t worried about you”

“Uh huh,” the Mandalorian finished packing away the rest of his things. They needed to leave now. “That’s why the kid wasn’t lifting you up in the air to stop you”

He grit his teeth, “he was playing”

There was a soft snort, almost incredulous. The Mandalorian looked up, reading the amusement on Corin’s face. 

“You are actually a really bad liar, wow” he had the audacity to laugh, sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling the child into his arms. 

The Mandalorian had to look away, swallowing down the words he’d been going to say. The frustration bleeding out of him at the sight. 

It was a weird feeling, not quite pain. But a full feeling, like his chest was going to burst and his armor wouldn’t be able to contain it. 

“We still need to get you something to protect your head.”

Corin just nodded, his good mood seemed impossible to disrupt. “I found a place, they sell armor for pretty cheap”

“No” the Mandalorian shook his head. “Not here, we’re leaving” 

“But-“ 

“Now. Everything else is on the ship already” he said, gathering what was left into a single satchel, even taking the child from Corin’s arms, gently. Ignoring the way Corin’s gaze lingered on him as he did so.

“What if I-“

“I can and will drag you to the ship if I have to” 

He didn’t understand why Corin smiled at that, but it was enough to get him to come with, and that’s what mattered. 

It was enough, and they were leaving. 

And they had almost made it to the ship before a group of mercenaries blocked their path. 

“Told you I saw a Mandalorian with fancy looking armor” one of them said, pointing his weapon with lackadaisical precision towards him. 

Corin stepped in front of him, blocking the side he was holding the child on and the Mandalorian would have felt indignant if he wasn’t grateful. 

“Kill them, grab the package, be famous” another one said, “good plan” 

“I have a better one” the Mandalorian countered “leave us alone, and you actually get to walk away from this alive” he took advantage of Corin’s shield, ignoring every instinct in him that was screaming to reverse their positions, and grabbed a flash bang to hold up. 

“We outnumber you Mando, what are you gonna do? Risk a shootout carrying a kid?”

“I have before,” he felt Corin stiffen in front of him, “I’m good at protecting what’s mine” 

Then, softer, just loud enough to make it through the helmet, “I need you to duck”

Corin didn’t turn around, but the Mandalorian knew what he wanted to say, could read every taut line of his body. And he ignored it. 

“Last I heard, there was a lot more Mandalorians then.” The first one stepped forward, Corin raised his blaster towards him. 

“When!” Corin whispered, soft, hard to hear.

“Yeah Mando!” Another one mocked, also getting closer. “Where’s your friends?”

“I’ll follow your lead” the Mandalorian whispered back, lifting his own blaster at the annoying one, tucking the kid in close to his chest.

“Or is this all you have left?”

Corin flinched. The Mandalorian pressed closer to his back, a support. 

“Where’s _his_ helmet? Or is he something else?” 

The wrong thing to say, the Mandalorian grit his teeth, Corin kept his aim steady. “Wanna see what I do?”

Now.

Corin ducked to the side, firing off a blaster shot into the mercenaries as the Mandalorian covered the kid’s eyes and lit the flash bang. 

He didn’t bother firing off any shots of his own, instead grabbing Corin with his free hand and dragging him through to the ship while their enemies fired blindly, their eyes adjusting from the bright light. 

But it was too late, they made it into the ship. The two of them turned, the Mandalorian and the ex-stormtrooper, simultaneously like partners in a dance, and fired back. 

This time, they had cover, and the advantage of surprise and it wasn’t long before whatever was left of the mercenaries felt it wouldn’t be worth it to stay.

The Mandalorian stood to pursue them, Corin stopped him, shaking his head.

“They know about you now”

“We got lucky,” Corin emphasized his point by picking the child back up and closing the bay door. “You need more friends if you wanna go after that many guild members” 

He was right, it was risky, he didn’t even know if he could find them all, likely wouldn’t even be able to recognize most of them. 

That doesn’t mean the Mandalorian wanted to let them run back to the guild, give away any more information about his life to people who would end it for money. People like him. 

“We need to leave now then, before _they_ realize that.” 

They were gone before either of them could change their minds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more quick wrap up chapter and then I just... idk wait for more of them to exist? Cry? Read LadyIrena’s library? Idk


	5. Chapter 5

The Mandalorian didn’t let himself relax until they’d reached the next system, anxiety itching under his skin. He didn’t look away from the controls in front of him, ignoring the small part of him that needed to look back, to check on them. 

They were fine.

“Have you even taken a breath since we left the planet?” Corin’s voice startled him, heavy in the quiet despite his attempt at humor. 

The Mandalorian looked back at him, loosening the tight grip he had on the controls and allowing his gaze to fall across him, slowly, taking everything in before attempting to speak. 

“I don’t breath”

Corin blinked, a stunned expression on his face that slowly melted into an incredulous smile that tugged unevenly at the right side of his lips. “You just told a joke”

The Mandalorian turned back around, ignoring the soft tug of his heartstrings, and settled more comfortably into his seat. It was almost as if every tense string that was pulling him to go, keep going, don’t look back, don’t think just  _ go, _ had been cut. Suddenly. By the other man’s laugh. 

And the Mandalorian didn’t allow himself to think much more on it. Content to lean back and listen as Corin spoke gently to the child, just quiet enough that he could barely hear him. 

“Would you look at that” he said, the child echoing with a small coo, “is that where you got your sense of humor from? Your dad?”

A sharp intake of breath, it felt wrong almost, to hear so intimate a conversation. Even more so, in that it made his heart flutter strangely in his chest. 

“You’re gonna grow up to be just like him, I can tell” Corin continued, “there’s a heart like no other, beating in your chest. You’ll probably make a pretty great Mandalorian”

He couldn’t take it anymore, holding himself back from speaking, afraid of what words would come out of he did, the Mandalorian set the controls to autopilot and stormed out of the cockpit. 

It was too much. The thoughts of what could be.

The thoughts of what wasn’t.

Hope.

Want?

It was far too dangerous. And the Mandalorian knew that.

He started collecting weapons to clean, needing something to do with his hands, something easy and distracting. It was second nature by now, taking them apart, cleaning them piece by piece. He oiled the parts that needed it, charged the parts that were getting low on energy, and slowly, methodically pieced them back together. It was a meditation almost. And the Mandalorian found himself lost in it.

Eventually, he ran out of weapons, moved onto tools, his boots, pieces of his armor needed upkeep.

He was about halfway through polishing his cuirass when he heard the hatch open. 

A soft gasp.

He ignored it, continuing his work, fighting to let his mind drift back into the easy haze that it had previously occupied. 

But he found himself, instead, hypersensitive to the sound, to every change in the air, the footsteps that slowly drew near. 

He dipped the rag into the polish once more. He was still clothed, only the Beskar of his armor removed to be cared for. However, the Mandalorian hadn’t realized how exposed he truly was until a light touch lingered at the base of his shoulder blades and he felt himself freeze entirely. 

The touch, delicate, barely there, ran up his spine to the collar of his shirt before connecting, reverently, to the small patch of skin that had been exposed. He could feel his heart stop, every moment in time freezing as the touch continued to trace down his back, shooting flares of electricity from every single caress, cascading through him as if he’d been struck by lightning rather than something as gentle and intimate as whatever was happening instead. 

The Mandalorian couldn’t move, didn’t want to, didn’t know what would be worse, for the touch to continue, or for it to stop completely. And he ached. 

It felt like a thousand moons had passed before the touch finally pulled away, and he heard Corin’s voice, soft, sultry, “sorry, I uh, didn’t mean to just touch you like that”

Anything the Mandalorian had wanted to say in response had lost itself in his throat, strangled by the entire heart that had lodged itself there, so instead they stayed in silence. Loud, unbearable silence, until Corin spoke again. 

“I’ve just never seen, you know…” 

His voice sounded less confident, unsure, and the Mandalorian hated how he seemed to hide away at the drop of a hat. 

“I’m just gonna go-“

The Mandalorian turned around, gloved had gripping tightly onto the other man’s wrist, stopping him from going anywhere.

Corin looked at him, eyes wide with confusion, his earlier recalcitrance disappearing in light of the Mandalorian’s uncharacteristic action.

“...back to the cockpit” he finished, still staring at their joined hands.

The Mandalorian panicked, He didn’t know what he had meant to do, and now he didn’t know where to go from here. Did he simply let go and pretend like he hadn’t just grabbed his companion’s wrist like a dying man, ignore his desperation, or did he do what he truly wanted to and reach up, and take his time slowly mapping out Corin’s features with his own hands, mimicking that gentle caress as best he could with the layers between them.

Maybe then he would finally realize just how much agony he’s been putting the Mandalorian through. 

The Mandalorian released his grip, allowing Corin to take a step back, an odd look in his soft, expressive, blue eyes. And the Mandalorian turned back around, determined not to see him leave, even if it was only to go back upstairs. 

He cradled his wrist, gently to his chest, and almost let himself dream. 

Then he picked up his armor, and his rag, and began polishing it once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, last chapter guys. I am sad to be done, but excited to read everyone else’s instead! Let’s go!

**Author's Note:**

> Im so sorry if this seems OOC, but I wanted to write for this ship, because it doesn’t exist in cannon but there needs to be more of it???!!!


End file.
